Despite the government's subsidized food sale programme like TCB, a large number of people are still deprived of its benefits.
It is alleged that unscrupulous syndicates are buying low-cost commodities using their own group of people and reselling the food in open markets.
In the month of Ramadan, the supply of TCB products has not increased despite knowing that there would be high demands. In fact, it is observed that each day queue for the food items gets longer. Many of the tail-enders return home empty-handed.
People after waiting several hours who are forced to return empty hands demanded to increase goods supply through TCB and at the same time punish those doing illegal business.
Besides TCB, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock is selling milk, eggs and meat at low prices in mobile trucks in different parts of the capital. This activity will continue throughout the month of Ramadan, said the ministry officials.
On the other hand, DeshBandhu Group has also started to sell goods at subsidized rates at different points across the capital.
But the present situation seems not enough against the rising demand from the lower and middle-income groups of people. TCB has a stock of food for 250 people per truck. Buyers have demanded an increase in truck supplies during Ramadan.
It is also alleged that often same customer is in the queue to buy food items depriving others.
In addition to the low-income people, an organized gang is continuously buying products from TCB sale trucks. Later they are found to sell the items at higher prices in the open market.
A buyer standing in the queue with the hope to get some goods at fair prices told this correspondent that prices of commodities have gone up several times in the last few years but on the contrary, salaries have not increased proportionately.
TCB Dhaka regional office spokesperson Humayun Kabir said that it is not possible to increase the supply of goods per truck suddenly. But compared to last year, the quantity has increased.
According to TCB officials, TCB's truck sales have increased two and a half fold this year as compared to last year. However, due to the manpower crisis, action is not going to be taken against the fraudsters.
